Tuck-folder for sewing-machines



:(No Model.) I

r L. J. PEARSALL.

'TUGK FOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

No. 408,258. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

WITNESSES: Q INVENTOR:

MA WW aW BY ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS Phnwuuw m mr, wnshin mm I16.

- UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LUCY JANE PEARSALL, OF FORT EDIVARD, NEW YORK.

TUCK-FOLDER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,258, dated August 6, 1889. Application filed February 4, 1887. Serial No. 226,551. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUCY JANE PEARsALL, of Fort Edward, in the county of \Vashington and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Tuck-Folder for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to tuck-folders for sewing-machines, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective device of this character, which will produce tucks of various widths at any desired distances apart and with economy of time and labor.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the tuck-folder, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved tuck-folder. Fig. 2 is a rear edge view of the folder, and Fig. 3 is an end view in cross-seetion on the line 20 00, Fig. 1.

The main plate or gage holder A of the folder is made with a longitudinal slot a, for passage of the screws 1) c d, which hold the attaching plate B and the gages OD, respectively, to the plate, said parts B O D having suitable flanges, which extend over the upper face of the plate to guide them thereon in making adjustments of the parts to form wide or narrow tucks in the goods being sewed, as hereinafter more fully explained.

At the back or outer end of the plate B is fixed a holder or sheath E, which is formed of a bottom plate 6, preferably made integral with the plate B, and an upper plate 6, riveted to the plate B and overhanging the plate (2, and at a distance from it to clamp the (ntire tucker to the presser-foot F of a sewingmachine. (Shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.) Elastic scrolls 6 formed by bending around tongues stamped out with the body of the plate B, and a bent loop 6 stamped up from the metal of the plate e, form side guides to hold the folder steadily on the foot F, and alip e on the plate 6' forms a stop which strikes the extremity or toe of the presser-foot as the tucker is pressed fully back to operative position, at which time the hole H in the sheath is in position to allow the sewing-machine needle to work freely through it.

As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the gages or cloth-guides G D are made in open-loop form or with lower sides 0 d underneath openings 0 (1 through which the cloth to be tucked'passes, as present] y described, these lower sides 0 d of the gages forming supports for the cloth inde pendently of the bed-plate of the sewing-machine; hence the feed of the cloth through the tucker will not be interfered with by any surface irregularity of the bed-plate, and the work will pass through the machine and tucker smoothly and evenly.

The main plate A of the tucker will be graduated in inches and fractions thereof, and the graduations at opposite sides of the plate-slot a will commence from opposite ends of the plate, to facilitate setting the gages for producing tucks of various widths.

In using the folder either of the gages G D may be employed, the one C being used when it is desirable or necessary to pass the bulk of the material at the left-hand side of the presser-foot, and the one D being used when passing the bulk of the goods at the right-hand side of the presser-foot, this arrangement of the folder with right and left hand gages thus allowing the work to be handled with facility and to the best advantage, and the open-loop form of the gages will not allow the goods to slip and be caught under the gages.

It is obvious that by setting either of the gages at the desired distance from the presser-foot or the plateB tucks of different width and at any required distances apart may be produced in the goods, the tuck last formed entering the gage as a guide for the next tuck being produced. For instance, in making narrow tucks with the bulk of the goods toward the left hand the gage C will be set from the needle the desired width of the tucks and the gage D will be set from the needle the width of the tucks plus the desired distance between the tucks, and when the bulk of the material is to be passed to the right hand the gage D will measure the width of the tucks and the one C will space the tucks apart, and when the gage C is used to measure the tucks the plate A will be clamped at its extreme lefthand end to the plate B, and when the gage D is used to measure the tucks the plateA willbe clamped at its extreme right-hand end to the plate 13, so that in either case the plateAwill not project in the way of the bulkof the goods being operated upon, and when the plate A is clamped about at its center to the plate B the bulk of the work may pass to either side, as will readily be understood.

I am aware that a tuck-folder has before been made comprising a main plate and right and left hand tuck-gages fitted adjustably thereto at opposite sides of a presser-foot sheath or clamp, which is fixed to the main plate; but I am not aware thatadevice of this character has been heretofore made with a main plate having one or more adjustable gages and provided with apresser-footsheath or clamp, on or in which the main plate is adjustable endWise to allow attachment of the device to the presser-foot at any point along the main plate of the folder.

My construction has decided advantages over prior devices, in that by adj usti-ng the main plate on the presser-foot sheath or clam p and also adjust ingthe right and left hand gages relatively to the needle I am enabled to make perfectly either very narrow or wide tucks or bar A, made of a single flat plate and having a continuous longitudinal slot a, extending from end to end thereof, in combination with a plate or guide B, arranged at right angles to said main bar, and on which the main bar is adjustable longitudinally, means for clamping said main bar to the plate or guide at any desired longitudinal adjustment, a sheath at the inner end of the plate or guide for de tachably connecting said plate and main bar to the presser-foot of a sewing-machine, and gages adj ustably connected to the main bar on opposite sides of the plate or guide, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

LUCY JANE PEARSALL.

\Vitnesses:

CIOERO W. @ARBER, TERRY B. KEECH. 

